Tag Archives: Terry Collins

In listening to the contrasting versions of the Yoenis Cespedes injury/golf issue between Mets GM Sandy Alderson and manager Terry Collins illustrates the gap and lack of communication in their working relationship and how ultimately things won’t end well for the latter.

CESPEDES: Laughing at Mets. (AP)

Collins spoke first Thursday afternoon and initially seemed composed in his press conference, but quickly became testy and controversial, interrupted questions and getting angry with reporters.

Collins’ ears perked up when the word “golf’’ was mentioned.

“Don’t go there,” said Collins, cutting off the question before it was asked. “Golf had nothing to do with it. He’s a baseball player.”

When the question was rerouted to being about perception, Collins went off, and frankly said some things that were embarrassing.

“I don’t care about perception,” Collins snapped. “I care about reality. The reality is, he was OK. He was OK to play [Wednesday] night. The reality is, he came up after his last at-bat and said, ‘My leg’s bothering me again.’

“It happened from when he got on base. He ran the bases. It didn’t hurt him in the fourth inning; it didn’t hurt him in the sixth inning. It hurt him in the ninth inning. That’s reality. That’s what we have to deal with. We can’t worry about what happened at 12 in the afternoon. We’ve got to worry about what happened at 10 o’clock [Wednesday] night. That’s when he hurt his leg.”

Collins was so far off, just as he was when asked why Cespedes wasn’t placed on the disabled list the first week of July.

Listening to Alderson later, it was as if he heard Collins and then said the opposite.

“Let’s face it,” Alderson said. “Playing golf during the day and then going out and getting injured in the evening, it’s a bad visual. I think [Cespedes] recognizes it at this point and we’ll go from there.”

What Alderson said next clearly undercut Collins’ earlier comments.It’s been a trying month or so with Yoenis and the injury and in retrospect, we probably should have just put him on the DL in the beginning of this episode,” Alderson said. “On the other hand, he wanted to try to play through it.’’

“It’s been a trying month or so with Yoenis and the injury and in retrospect, we probably should have just put him on the DL in the beginning of this episode,” Alderson said. “On the other hand, he wanted to try to play through it.”

I don’t have a problem with not putting Cespedes on the DL immediately. He was hurt before the All-Star break and it made sense to take the calculated gamble of seeing if the rest during the break could have helped him.

But, was Cespedes getting any rest if he was on the golf course every day. There are reports he likes to play four or five times a week. However, whether he used a cart or not doesn’t matter. There’s still a lot of standing and walking, and Bobby Valentine made an interesting comment when he compared the muscle movements and torque of the baseball swing.

It might not be as taxing as playing basketball, but there is a strain which is compounded when it’s hot. Neither Alderson nor Collins said it, but when Cespedes is on the golf course for three hours, he’s not getting treatment, is he?

I wonder how David Wright, who used to spend up to two hours getting ready to play, feels about this.

All that is the reality Collins wanted to deal in.

The reality is Cespedes was not getting as much treatment as he should have been getting.

The reality is if Collins was trying to preserve Cespedes for these games in AL parks when he could have used the DH, then he shouldn’t have used him as a pinch-hitter when the Mets held a five-run lead.

The reality is if Cespedes tweaked his quad Tuesday night as a pinch-hitter, he shouldn’t have been on a golf course Wednesday afternoon.

The reality is if Cespedes takes fewer swings before a game, then he shouldn’t be taking more and more golf swings.

The reality is if Cespedes can’t play left field to preserve his legs he shouldn’t be playing 18 rounds several times a week.

The reality is when Alderson said he conferred with Cespedes’ representatives about not playing golf when on the DL, he’s admitting no control over his player.

Collins is right about one thing, and that is Cespedes is a baseball player. And, the reality is he’s being paid $27 million to play for the Mets and isn’t giving his employer his best effort.

The reality is there is a disconnect between Alderson and Collins and this won’t end well for the manager.

There was a time this season when Steven Matz was sitting on top of the National League and had emerged as the Mets’ ace. After losing his first start, Matz reeled off seven straight victories and was 7-1 with a 2.36 ERA. That run included a May 9 start against the Dodgers when it was learned he had a bone spur in his elbow.

MATZ: Goes vs. Yanks. (MLB)

When he needed to skip a start, if not go on the disabled list, manager Terry Collins kept running him out there. The best the Mets did was push a start back one day at the end of June. One day.

“We will continue to monitor his situation but at this point, it’s a function of whether he can tolerate the discomfort while continuing to pitch,” said Mets GM/Dr. Sandy Alderson. “At the same time, what we will do is monitor that level of discomfort, monitor his mechanics to make sure whatever discomfort he has doesn’t cause him to do something that leads to something else, and we’ll monitor it on a start-by-start basis.”

So far, Matz has held up, but he hasn’t been the same and it just isn’t all about a lack of run support. Matz will take his 8-7 record to the mound tonight at Yankee Stadium.

There’s no word to Yoenis Cespedes’ availability for tonight’s Mets-Yankees game at Citi Field. The belief is manager Terry Collins is saving him for the upcoming five games in American League parks where he can be used as a designated hitter.

This makes sense on the surface, but does it really?

CESPEDES: Time to sit him. (AP)

I understand wanting to get his bat in the lineup, where he might run into a pitch and give the Mets a game. I get all that, but the Mets are taking an unnecessary gamble.

Suppose Cespedes makes it through the DH games without incident, then severely reinjures his right quad to the point where he needs to go on the disabled list. That means the Mets would lose the five DH days (six if you include Tuesday) where they could have back-dated the start time of a DL stint.

If they DL Cespedes now hopefully he will come back sooner – and healed.

At the time I understood wanting to wait until after the All-Star break, but Cespedes came back no better than when he was first injured. Had Cespedes been placed on the DL after the break, his quad could be a moot point. That’s water under the bridge and nothing can be done about it now, however with the addition of Jay Bruce, and Michael Conforto, Curtis Granderson and Brandon Nimmo, the Mets – barring further injuries – have enough outfielders to get them through the next two weeks.

What Cespedes needs is rest, which he won’t get in a DH role. If he can’t run in the outfield, he can’t run on the bases. This day-to-day stuff is paralyzing Collins in terms of making out his lineup and in-game management. If Cespedes can’t, or won’t, play center, his value to the Mets is diminished.

Frankly, I’d rather be without Cespedes for two weeks in early August than lose him for a longer period at the end of the month or worse, in September. The Mets need to DL Cespedes now to set up for the stretch drive.

You can still find Brandon Nimmo with the Mets. Nimmo had been traded to Cincinnati for Jay Bruce, but that changed when he reportedly failed his physical and had to be replaced by second base prospect Dilson Herrera. Minor league lefty prospect Max Wotell was also included in the trade.

BRUCE: Running to Mets. (AP)

The Mets added Herrera after the Reds found something they didn’t like with Nimmo’s physical. Nimmo had a foot injury earlier this year.

Mets GM Sandy Alderson would not confirm it was Nimmo who had the medical issue, but that’s not hard to figure out since he was pulled and Herrera was added.

The 29-year-old Bruce is expected to offer the punch that has been severely lacking, hitting .265 with 25 homers and a league-leading 80 RBI, and perhaps most importantly, a .360 average with RISP. Bruce has been on the Mets’ radar for over a year when they offered Zack Wheeler last July before landing Yoenis Cespedes.

“We haven’t had time to talk about playing time will be broken down,” Alderson said. “He’ll provide a big presence in the middle of the lineup. … One player could have a significant impact. Somebody like Jay Bruce can be a catalyst.”

Q: What is Bruce’s contractual status?

A: Bruce is in the final months of a six-year, $51 million contract, which includes a $13 million option (or $1 million buyout) for 2017. Bruce is making $12.5 million this season. Alderson said the club option was essential.

“We would not have done the deal without the extra year of control,” Alderson said. “We would not have done the deal as a rental.”

Specifically, this gives the Mets a safety net should Cespedes opt out and leave after this season.

Q: Where will Bruce play?

A: With Cespedes insisting on playing left field, Bruce could go to right field with Curtis Granderson moving to center.

A: If there is a time to put Cespedes (strained right quad) on the disabled list it is now (actually, it should have been three weeks ago). Having Bruce gives the Mets the flexibility of placing Cespedes on the disabled list now, which is preferable to risking an injury and losing him in September. What Bruce does is offer the Mets a safety net should Cespedes opt out after this season.

As for Conforto, he’ll stay up here if Cespedes goes on the DL. However, there’s a strong chance they’ll send him back to the minors and bring him up again in September unless there’s an injury before then.

Q: What about the long-term future with Granderson?

A: It’s all fluid now as Granderson has one more year on his contract and the Mets can choose not to bring back Bruce for 2017.

Q: Does it matter that even with Bruce the Mets don’t have a conventional outfield?

A: Not in the least, simply because the Mets don’t have a conventional outfield now. Bruce will report to the Mets tomorrow. Beginning Wednesday, the Mets will have five games in American League parks (two with the Yankees and three in Detroit), where they can buy some time with Cespedes.

Unbelievably, Collins said the Mets hope Cespedes might be able to play center field by the end of the week.

Q: What is the fallout with Herrera?

A: The sticking point in getting Lucroy from the Brewers was them not wanting to give up Herrera. This could enhance their chances of keeping Neil Walker, who can opt out if he wants after the season. Of course, that could mean giving him more money. Part of the reason why Alderson let Daniel Murphy walk was in part because of Herrera. Alderson said the Mets have some infield depth for next year with Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes.

Q: Anything else?

A: Right at the deadline, the Mets reaquired Jon Niese from Pittsburgh for lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo. Niese will be used primarily out of the bullpen – “I didn’t forget the job he did last year [in relief],” Collins said – but could be slotted in if another starter needed a day of rest.